"New Zealand is blessed with many resources and extraordinary natural beauty, but has a modest tax base – yet residents expect a high level of government services. Minister Willis’s plan is therefore a very big bet on AI."

"am concerned the whitewashing agenda this govt is committed to embedding will lead to a drain of cultural understanding in the public service, making it even harder for Māori communities to have a voice in the development of policies that will impact them." #nzpol www.teaonews.co.nz/2026/05/20/p...

It's so annoying* that Chung could purposefully spread gendered disinformation about a sitting mayor and be 1) still elected and 2) effectively promoted by the new Mayor. But oh, a policeman said he was weird better do something about THAT. #nzpol *infuriating www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/wellingto...

Over 500 women in Wellington sent Little a letter about how he should not be given that role. He did not listen. #nzpol

JFC, it’s international news (well, IT news) now. Fucking CoC. #nzpol

Hey, just noting for the gell of it, you'll notice that the people who want to have 4 year parliamentary terms will almost always claim that govts 'can't do anything in election year'. Not noticing this govt sitting on its hands.

The same Bill that a majority of our parliamentarians chose to progress to a second reading today was introduced in Australia by Pauline Hanson and their parliament told her to fuck off. The absolute shame of it all.

Nicola Willis says the PSA are “hysterical” and misleading their members. The PSA say they just are trying to work out where 8700 jobs will go www.thepost.co.nz/politics/361...

Sounds like a really good time to join your union if you aren’t already… As a delegate, a lot of the personal cases I took on were making sure the organisation was following proper process, policy or legislation. Yeah… don’t have faith any of that will happen when AI is involved…

guys you're scientists, not politicians. would it kill you to say it out loud when something is bad? in no way is killing the Marsden Fund good for the university of auckland

Oh Geebuz 😰🫣🤦‍♀️

can we start a series of overhead photos "kid dinner as tasting menu"

If you haven't watched Marama's speech yet please do. Our current government is the worst of us. Marama is the best #npol

Peters’ comment here laughing off future cuts cos “no budget can bind a future govt” goes to one a lunch convo today, which was how can Willis bank savings in budget 2026 that are scheduled for 27-29 when a new govt might reverse them? Feels pretty dodgy #nzpol www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...

AI has been running at a loss. Paid versions are expensive. “AI automation would be economically viable in only 23% of roles where vision is a primary part of the work. In the remaining 77% of the time, it was cheaper for humans to continue their work.” fortune.com/2026/04/28/n...

What They Don't Want You to Know About Ebola. Three Big Things. On surviving the next pandemic. www.the-sentinel-intelligence.net/what-they-do... @jessicawildfire.bsky.social

#NZpol Ah. It's a pretty simple exercise from his point of view... "Everyone has to tighten their belt — except the office of Prime Minister, why would you do that, DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" Given how much Luxon bends to his will and Seymour doesn't frighten him, we all know who the real PM here.

Ok i have emailed my mp. I'm going to take a shower and read something nice. Then i'm going to go support my amazing local Green candidate's fundraising event. Not just a fun night out with @saycheeselouise.bsky.social but also a practical, hopeful, edifiying thing to do to fight off the gloom.

I think this is an important pov but also it shows a lot of people are motivated by jealousy and hurting people. And that’s why politicians bring out these policies. People genuinely like the idea of other people hurting - beneficiaries, disabled people, carers, immigrants, Māori.

a little known fact about Ray Chung is he's just seven years old, just a little boy whose mouth works ten times faster than his brain

Tldr: I went to the famous Oxford Union Debate to hold Empire accountable. Against 3 older power laden men pimping for colonisation. No biggie. I shat myself. It was terrifying. I won by just agreeing to do it, and telling my story anyway. But the win of 163-86 was a bonus. youtu.be/SlZE8BT_fio?...

"Impt to understand this is not a govt bill. It is a NZ First member's bill, which means govt parties are not required to support it... While it may feel bleak that this bill is even up for debate, there is something we can do." @shaneellall 🚨 We need to email MPs from ACT & National to oppose it.

#nzpol Nasty, racist arseholes 😡😡😡

Beware narratives of returning the public service workforce to the "normal" level of 1%. Public service austerity will not deliver better outcomes for New Zealanders. www.publicservice.govt.nz/data/workfor...

Grim. National and ACT backing a bill - at least at first reading - which fundamentally undermines the self-ID law both parties voted for *unanimously* just a few years ago.

Seymour: we want a smaller govt Also Seymour: can I keep growing my new govt ministry This guy 🤦 #nzpol

"Payroll, HR, administrative functions and responding to Official Information Act requests were highlighted by the minister as tasks that could be partially offloaded to artificial intelligence." So the govt wants, in turn, Novopay part 2, mass personal grievances, and endless Ombudsman reviews.

If we actually want the public service to get out of the 1980s (actually the long 1990s, but whatever) we need to stop giving effect to the corporate funded ideologues who cheerlead economics and public choice theory ideas from the 1980s.

Nicola Willis wants to use LLMs for payroll. How is replacing one payroll administrator looking after a payroll system with three lawyers handling payroll compliance failures going to save money?

Ask her if she has sacked those staff then? Not saying she should but its her argument to explain why not with regard to.

🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

My mate Ian, a self-confessed rugby corporate guy, thinks the public service cuts are a bit shit too. So even the ‘rugby + corporate’ crowd are saying this is reckless and our public service is already under pressure. You can’t keep hollowing out a city and expect it to thrive. #nzpol

Electronic Card spending per capita continues to slump. More money spent on rates, insurance etc, and less money flowing through the economy in real terms. April was a sharp decline. Was it fuel? (1/5)

Shot, chaser, chaser

Honestly, this. These are basic things that a government would address if it had any degree of good faith.

#nzpol the other major agency also not excluded from cuts is the Ministry of Social Development, second only to the IRD in terms of regular contact with the public & disbursing funds. Pretty sure the various Poverty Action Groups & charities currently dealing with MSD are really excited about this.

i don't mean to be petty, but i get so bummed when links to mainstream outlets get shared, but webworm gets ignored - when we were first to report it and talk to those involved etc. a reminder all webworm stories exist on the webworm site, are sharable, and have zero ads running!

Fucking Willis: "Yes we're going to cut thousands of jobs and replace them with AI" What do you use AI for? "Checking my spelling and grammar" SO WHAT THE FUCK IS AI GOING TO BE DOING NICOLA?

Public sector growth under Labour ranged from 0.7 to 5% - reasonably commensurate with population growth. But even with a view to efficiency, slash & burn has never worked - you lose your best & brightest to Australia while retaining dead weight & political players. Not smart.

Explaining that not all 63 657 public service employees work in Wellington, but that, as 42.6% of them do, significant job cuts will still fuck Wellington. That's the same Wellington that is already fucked by previous cuts.

Mōrena e te whanāu, another crisp sunny autumn morning meaning very clear views from Kawerau Reserve on the Devonport Peninsula across the Waitematā Harbour towards the Waitakere Ranges. Kia pa tō rā!

So......AI costs more than employees - did Nicola & NZ Initiative check with Grok before they and the National Party came up with this brain child?

Can't stop thinking about little these ppl know about AI, how it works, the risks, let alone a decent cost benefit analysis

We really do have some serious work to do. Tiriti education in Pākehā-only spaces was gaining momentum in the late 2010s. But it's just not enough. Feels like we have regressed as a society so much since the lockdowns and riot on the Parliament grounds.

The guys who are the “good economic managers” did this

Helen nailed it. There is no need for emergency unless you already spent all the money. The govt is doing the equivalent of holding those on MSD benefits & the disabled and shaking us for change... Despite the fact we pay a higher effective tax rate than millionaires. #nzpol #ditchthepricksin26

National speed running economic crash & private tech displacement in NZ: "We're going to bring AI and digitisation to the public sector like private businesses are doing"

This Brad "sell my soul to the National Party" Olsen? #nzpol